Last in Parliament October 2015, as ConservativeMP for Nunavut (Nunavut)

Statements in the House

Mr. Speaker, Canada was the first country in the world to ban traditional coal-fired electricity.

I want to share with hon. members an example of what we are doing to support the global community in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. One financing project that is under way is the solar plant in Uruguay. Once completed, the solar plant is expected to eliminate approximately 18,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year. The solar plant is also expected to supply the Uruguay national grid with an average of 96,000 megawatts per year.

This is another example of our support for the global community in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Mr. Speaker, here is another example of Canada's contribution in helping 65 countries in the world. A portion of the financing that we have invested is supporting two of the first commercial scale wind farm initiatives in Peru. Once completed, this wind farm is expected to displace 440,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year. These wind farms are also expected to supply Peru's national grid with 130 megawatts of renewable energy capacity. This is another example of Canada's contribution to the global community in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Mr. Speaker, as I stated earlier, Canada has supported over 65 developing countries in a number of areas. In fact, our contributions, our financing has supported various initiatives on climate change in developing countries. A portion of the financing is going toward construction, operation and maintenance of the first geothermal power facility in Indonesia, as an example. This will be the largest geothermal power project in the world.

Once completed, the geothermal power facility is expected to eliminate 1.3 megatonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year. This is an example of Canada's contribution to the elimination of greenhouse gas emissions.

Mr. Speaker, we are taking a leadership role on the international stage. We have helped more than 65 developing countries reduce emissions and adapt to climate change. Also, our party was the founding member of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition. We are also doing our part by contributing to the green climate fund.

We are also addressing short-lived climate pollutants during Canada's Arctic Council chairmanship and will continue to do that and do our part to protect our environment while keeping our economy strong.

Mr. Speaker, our government has played a leadership role when it comes to protecting our environment. This is why we have invested significantly to clean up and improve water quality and to protect fish in the Great Lakes.

The new Canada-Ontario Agreement on Great Lakes Water Quality and Ecosystem Health entered into force just last December. We also worked with our American partners to update the Canada-U.S. Great Lakes water quality agreement. That will help to prevent and address issues impacting water quality and ecosystem health.

Mr. Speaker, with regard to (a), the Government of Canada is working with its American and Ontario partners to address this issue. In September 2012, the governments of Canada and the United States renewed the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. In December 2014, the governments of Canada and Ontario renewed the Canada-Ontario Agreement on Great Lakes Water Quality and Ecosystem Health. The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement committed both governments to take actions that would result in a reduction of algal blooms. The Canada-Ontario agreement outlines how the Government of Canada will work with the Government of Ontario to address the issue of excess nutrients and reduce harmful and nuisance algal blooms.

Environment Canada allocated $16 million to implement the Great Lakes Nutrient Initiative to meet our commitment to reduce algal blooms. Through the initiative, focused on Lake Erie, we are working in concert with our partners to advance the science to understand and address the complex problem of recurrent toxic and nuisance algae in the Great Lakes; review the effectiveness of current nutrient management programs, policies and legislation; assess the economic impact of algal blooms; propose new loading targets for phosphorus; and provide recommendations to improve nutrient management in the Canadian portion of the Lake Erie watershed.

In addition to the Great Lakes Nutrient Initiative, the Government Canada has allocated $8 million per year to support the restoration of water quality and impaired uses at 17 locations, or areas of concern, that have experienced high levels of environmental harm. Some of these locations experience excess growth of algae.

In budget 2012 the Government of Canada announced $29 million to support a new Lake Simcoe and southeastern Georgian Bay cleanup fund. The fund supports community-based projects to reduce phosphorous inputs from urban and rural sources that contribute to the algae issue.

With regard to (b), Environment Canada will be working closely with other federal and provincial partners to fulfill our commitments to address harmful algal blooms in both the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement and the Canada-Ontario Agreement on Great Lakes Water Quality and Ecosystem Health.

The 2012 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement sets out key activities. They include the following: develop, within three years, by 2016, binational substance objectives for phosphorus concentrations, loading targets and loading allocations for Lake Erie; and develop, within five years, by 2018, binational phosphorus reduction strategies and domestic action plans to meet the objectives for phosphorus concentrations and loading targets in Lake Erie. They also include the following: assess, develop and implement programs to reduce phosphorus loadings from urban, rural, industrial and agricultural sources. This will include proven best management practices, along with new approaches and technologies. They also include the following: identify priority watersheds that contribute significantly to lake-wide or local algae development, and develop and implement management plans to achieve phosphorus load reduction targets and controls; and undertake and share research, monitoring and modelling necessary to establish, report on and assess the management of phosphorus and other nutrients, and improve the understanding of relevant issues associated with nutrients and excessive algal blooms.

Commitments in the 2014-19 Canada-Ontario agreement will support achievement of the following results: improved understanding of sources, transport and fate of nutrients in the Great Lakes, with an emphasis on Lake Erie; improved understanding of nutrient levels and environmental conditions that trigger nuisance and harmful algal blooms in the Great Lakes, with an emphasis on Lake Erie; establishment of phosphorus concentration and loading targets for priority tributaries, nearshore and offshore waters of Lake Erie by 2016; action plans to work towards meeting phosphorus concentration and loading targets for the Great Lakes, with an emphasis on Lake Erie; reduction in excess nutrient loadings from stormwater and wastewater collection and treatment facilities in urban and rural communities; improved understanding and development of practices and technologies for nutrient use efficiency; and increased adoption of cost-effective practices and technologies to improve nutrient use efficiency and reduce the risk of loss of excess nutrients from agricultural production

Mr. Speaker, as I stated earlier, Environment Canada has initiated a scientific review to assess the effects of microbeads to the environment. That review builds on the work that we have done to reduce the risk of harmful chemicals.

This issue will also be included at the meeting of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment later this month in Manitoba. I look forward to working with my colleagues at the federal-provincial-territorial level to address this issue.

Mr. Speaker, as I stated, Environment Canada has initiated a scientific review to assess the effects of microbeads on the environment. Scientists are reviewing the issue of microbeads. This review builds on the work that we have done on the risk of harmful chemicals in our environment. We will also be including the microbead issue on the agenda this month in Manitoba's meetings of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment. Now that is action.

Mr. Speaker, Environment Canada has initiated a scientific review to assess the effect of microbeads on the environment. This review builds on the work we have done to reduce the risk of harmful chemicals.

Since 2006, we have taken action on more than 2,700 substances under the chemicals management plan, and we are on track to assess 4,300 substances by 2020. We are also putting the issue of microbeads on the agenda of this summer's meetings of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for the opportunity to speak to the Liberal record in the north. For 13 years, the Liberal government did not implement the Nunavut land claims agreement. Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated filed a lawsuit against the federal government for lack of implementation of the land claims agreement. Our government settled that dispute out of court recently, and awarded Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated $255 million for the lack of implementation from that government.

Our government is listening and moving forward. The next step we will take is to negotiate a devolution agreement. We are hoping to reach an agreement in principle in the next little while. Again, this legislation would support the implementation of that land claims agreement.

That party and that government cut transfers to the territorial government. The Liberals did not implement the Nunavut land claims agreement, which brings us here today. Northerners want this legislation. Northerners want the tools to make decisions about their future and under what terms and conditions.

As Minister for the Arctic Council, I can also say that the initiatives we undertook over two years of our chairmanship were to address the issues that were important to northerners, hence, our overarching theme: development for the people of the north by incorporating the traditional knowledge of Inuit to science in addressing climate change and by incorporating the traditional knowledge and traditional ways of life of indigenous people in policy work that is done through the Arctic Council. We moved on black carbon and methane for the north, because it was important to the north.